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Sant Bani Magazine J U ~ ~ / A U'95 ~.

The Voice of the Saints

v ~ i20 . -i a 2

With the Master in South America

Sant Bani Magazine The Voice of the Saints

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July / August 1995 - Volume 20, Numbers 1 & 2

3 The Company We Keep Sant Ajaib Singh Ji a Satsang of June 9,1995

15 Miracles of Love Ricardo Moreno, a personal experience

18 Concentration is a Great Force Baba Sawan Singh Ji reprinted from Sniritual Gems

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21 With the Master in South America photos from the Tour

26 Pray to Him Wholeheartedly Sant Ajaib Singh Ji meditation talks from June 16, 17, 6 18, 1995

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26 The King of Our Hearts Sant Kirpal Singh Ji reprinted from the April 1976 Sat Sandesh

41 Feed Your Soul with Meditation Sant Ajaib Singh Ji the farewell talk in Venezuela,June 7,1995

44 A Vey Precious Hour Sant Ajaib Singh Ji questions and answers, August 19,1977

Photo credits: Cover (Bombay, January 1995) Pat Brown; all other photos of Sant Ji from South America, June 1995; pp. 7, 17, 22, bottom, 23, 28, 36, 37 (both), 38, 40, Jonas Gerard; pp. 9, 21, 24 (top), 26, 27, Joe Gelbard; pp.

12, 43, Charlie Costa; pp. 22 (top), 24 (bottom), 25, 39, Gunnel Singh; others unknown.

SANT BANIIThe Voice of the Saints is published periodically by Sant Bani Ashram, Inc., Sanbornton, N.H., U.S.A., for the purpose of disseminating the teachings of the living Master, Sant Ajaib Singh Ji, of His Master, Param Sant Kirpal Singh Ji, and of the Masters who preceded them. Editor Emeritus: Russell Perkins. Editor: Richard Shannon, with kind assistance from: Debbie Asbeck, Randy Budington, Joe Gelbard, Edythe Grant, Amy Kaufman, Lelia McIlwraith, Phyllis Roy, Elvia Rubald, Rebecca Shannon, Susan Shannon and Mary Tulin.

Annual subscription rate in the U.S. is $30.00. Individual and back issues $2.50.

Foreign and special mailing rates available on request. All checks and money orders should be made payable to Sant Bani Ashram, and all payments from outside the U.S. should be on an International Money Order or a check drawn on a New York bank (with a micro-encoded number). Correspondence should be addressed to Sant Bani Ashram, Sanbornton, N.H. 03269, U.S.A. Articles, including stories and poems, on the theory and practice of Sant Mat, are most welcome. Views expressed in individual articles are not necessarily the views of the journal. Articles are edited for clarity and may be cut to fit available space.

The Company We Keep Sant Ajaib Singh Ji

p

alutations unto the feet of Su-

preme Father Almighty Lords Sawan and Kirpal, Who have had mercy on this poor soul, and have given the opportunity to do Their devotion, and allowed this poor soul to sing Their glory.

Saints and Mahatmas, the Beloveds of God, no matter whether They came in India, or in the Persian countries, or in other parts of the world - it doesn't matter where They came, nor in what age They came. Nobody came into this world to break the existing religions, or to form any new religion. They did not come to this world to give us the sticks in our hands and make us fight with each other.

Even though those great Masters are not among us in the physical form, we do have Their writings with us, Their teachings in the form of the books and scriptures. You may read Their books, and you can find for yourself whether enmity towards anyone is written there, or whether it teaches us to have love for everyone.

This Satsang was given June 9, 1995, at Sant Bani Ashram, in Subachoque, Colombia.

July /August 1995

In the writings of the Masters, four things are always mentioned.

Those things are that the liberation does not lie in performing the worship and the austerities, the liberation is in Naam. Mahatmas even tell us that the Naam, because of which we can achieve the liberation-that Naam cannot be seen with these eyes, it cannot be written in any language; it is an unwritten law, an unspoken language. Even though we have this tongue, we cannot speak that Naam, so we are dumb. Even though we have the eyes, we cannot see that Naam. In our within God Almighty is calling us; even though we have the ears, but still we are not listening, we are not able to hear the Sound of God. God, after giving life to, and creating the whole creation, is sitting in Sach Khand. We are the crippled ones; we cannot climb to Sach Khand, we cannot reach Sach Khand using these legs.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj says that those who have become blind in the Will of the Lord are not the blind ones; in fact, those who are not seeing the Light of the Lord which is manifested within them, they are the real blind ones. Day and night God Almighty is creating the

Sound of Shabd within us. Those who are not listening to that Sound of the Shabd are the deaf ones. Guru Nanak Sahib says, "Do not call them blind who have become blind in the Will of the Lord; Nanak says, Those who do not see the Light of (3od within are the real blind ones. Nanak says only they have the true eyes who see their Creator within."

On behalf of God Almighty, perfect Masters come into this world to give eyes to us the blind ones, legs to us the crippled ones. They come into this world to break the seal of our ears.

Guru Arjan Dev Ji Maharaj says, "Even the cripple climbs the mountain, and even a foolish one speaks like a wise person. When one meets the Pure Master, then even a blind person can see all the three worlds.

Listen, 0 Brother, to the glory of the company of the Master. The dirt is removed, and one becomes very pure in his heart. Such is the devotion of God Almighty, that even an ant defeats an elephant."

The second thing is: the Masters sing the importance of the glory of the Satsang, or the company we keep, in Their writings. The company which we keep has a very deep effect on our life, just as in the company of a philosophers stone Iron turns into gold, and the gold does not change back into iron again. The bhringi is a kind of insect. It brings an ant and makes it hear the bhringi's own sound, and makes it its own 4

form. And once that ant becomes a bhringi, it does not remain an ordinary ant, it also becomes a bhringi.

When the swanti drop of rain [pure rain], falls in the ocean, it becomes like the ocean-salty. But when it falls in the mouth of the shell, it becomes a pearl. The iron floats on the surface of the water in the company of the wood; in the same way, by going in the company of the perfect Masters, we do the devotion of God Almighty and meet with Him. Masters call that place or that environment as Satsang where They talk about God Almighty. Through Their talks, Masters touch our heart and divert our attention towards God Almighty. God is that Truth which doesn't perish, which isn't destroyed, He always remains. So the real Satsang is the union of our soul with that Truth, God Almighty.

Bhagat Namdev Ji says, "Looking at the body of the Masters, do not remain under this illusion, do not forget, do not think that They are only the human beings. They have a different position. They are one with God Almighty, so when we are having Their darshan, when we are spending time in Their company, we are doing the true Satsang."

Some dear ones asked Guru Arjan Ji Maharaj, "What is the true Satsang? Whose company is the true one, and in whose company should we go, and in whose company should we not go?" So Guru Arjan Dev Ji Maharaj replied, "You should always SANT BANI

go and sit in the company of those who meditate on the Naam of the Lord. Never go in the company of those who are involved in their own pursuits."

Kabir Sahib says, "God Almighty sent me, and I have given out His message, weeping and with much difficulty. The happiness which I get in the company of the Saint, I do not get that even in the heavens."

Kabir Sahib says, "0 Kabir, the company of the Sadh is very good; it cuts millions of our sins. The company of those who are not the Master, those who are not the sadhus is very bad, because always in their company you remain restless, and you commit sins."

In the Bhagavad Lord Krishna tells Udho, "Neither by performing any japas, nor by performing any austerities, nor by any kind of worship, nor by reading the scriptures, nor by any other good karmas, can anyone realize me, only by going in the company of the Masters or Saints can one realize me." He says "I can neither be accommodated in the sky, nor can I live in the world below, but I can easily live in the hearts of the devotees."

We get the medicines from the hospitals; we get the education from the schools and colleges. By sitting close to the water we get coolness; we get the warmth by sitting next to the fire. As we see all these things to be true and as we believe in them, in the same way, if there is a place July /August 1995

where some Beloved of God is residing, by going to that place and by being with that lover of God, we get the true understanding and knowledge and we get peace from Him. Guru Nanak Ji Maharaj says, "There is no difference between the Lord and the Saint." Kabir Sahib says, "No one should ever criticize the Saint, because the Saint and the Lord Almighty are one."

The third thing which the writings of the perfect Masters describe is the necessity of having the perfect Master. Because by going in the company of an imperfect master we get nothing but confusion and difficulties and restlessness.

Maharaj Kirpal used to say that only an educated person can give you an education, only a wrestler can make you a wrestler, and only He Who has done the meditation can make you meditate. Only He Who has struggled with His mind can make you fight with your mind. He Who is connected from the within with God Almighty can make you connected with Him. I am telling you from my own experience, with much firmness and determination, that before you go to anybody and take him as your Master, first of all find out whether he has done any meditation in his lifetime or not, whether he has sacrificed ten or fifteen years searching for God and doing the devotion or not. Because it is not an ordinary thing to go to someone and take him

as your Master, it is the matter of your own life. So before going to anyone and taking him as your Master you should first find out about him, and you should be very sure that he is the perfect one.

Guru Nanak Sahib says, ' N o one has realized Him just by talking."

He says that you cannot win the battles just by talking. We cannot control lust, anger, greed, attachment and egoism and all these opposite forces just by talking.

In the city of Lahore, there was a wrestler by the name of Gunga, and he was a very famous wrestler over there. Master Kirpal Singh Ji used to mention him; He used to give his example. Why did he become so popular, so famous? It is only because all night long he would go on practicing his wrestling. That is why, since he worked very hard, he became very famous. Master Kirpal Himself chose the waters of the river Ravi, and He used to go and stand in the water up to His neck, and He used to do the meditation over there.

It is also written in the writings or banis of the Mahatmas, that whatever search, whatever finding we have to do, we should do it before we take the Initiation from the Master. And once we have searched for the Master, once we become sure about Him and take the Initiation from Him, after that, sincerely, honestly, and wholeheartedly, we should do our meditation. If we keep any doubts for the Master after we re-

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ceive the Initiation, we can never go within, we can never progress.

Earlier I had said that the Masters do not come into this world to make us fight with each other. They do not break the existing religions, nor do They form the new religions.

They come into this world only for the benefit of the souls; They bring the message of God Almighty to the souls. The Masters come into this world for those souls for whom it has been determined and decided in the Court of God that now they will be given the liberation, they will be brought back to the Real Home.

So Masters bring the message of God Almighty for those souls, and even if it is very difficult for Them to give that message, still They do Their job, They give the message to those souls. And also the Masters Who come carrying the message for the souls, They never become a burden on any community or any society. They earn Their own livelihood, be it by farming or by trading or doing anything, but They never become a burden on Their followers or on the society.

But what do we do after such Masters, such Beloveds of God, leave this world? We rewrite the writings, the teachings of those Masters, according to our own way, and we comment on them. In the name of those Masters we create the religions; and we confine the teachings of those Masters, which were for the whole world, we limit those teachSANT BANI

Satsang in Quito, Ecuador

ings to a particular sect, or religion, or to a particular part of the world.

We fight with each other, and we create the divisions. What more injustice can we do to the teachings of those Masters? Because the teachings of the Masters were for the whole creation, for the whole world, but we limit and we confine them to just a few people, or just a few groups of people.

A perfect Master is like a cow.

July / August 1995

Just as a cow does not refuse the milk to anyone - she doesn't say, "I will not give milk to this person or that person." In the same way the perfect Master gives His teachings, His knowledge, His grace to everyone, whether one is Hindu, or Muslim, or Sikh, or Christian, whether one lives in the East or West.

A brief hymn of Swami Ji Maharaj is presented to you; listen to it with much attention.

Over here you have to be careful.

This way is very crooked do not fall in the company of the mind.

is your enemy, so do not listen to him, and be very careful over here."

First of all, the mind keeps us involved in the pleasures of this physical plane, and he keeps us involved over here. If somehow we are able to rise above this physical plane and go inside, and if we do not have the perfect Master with us, then he causes the confusion because over there he has created his own lights, he has created his own sounds.

There are so many crooked ways over there, and if we do not have the company of the Master with us, we remain in the confusion. We do not know where we have to go, and we get lost over there.

If we have the company of the Master Who has defeated all these forces of the Negative Power, He Who has controlled all these things - if we have His company, only then we can go beyond them.

What message do They bring? Our soul is an essence of God Almighty, and our mind is an agent of the Negative Power. The Negative Power cannot kill the soul; he cannot give birth to any soul. The soul cannot be burnt in any fire; it cannot be drowned in any water. The soul doesn't get killed; she cannot kill anyone.

In order to keep the soul in this world, in this creation, the Negative Power created the cage of this body, to which he attached the mind. And he gave this duty to the mind, that no soul should ever listen to the message of the Masters. If they listen to the message of the Masters anyway, they should not do the meditation of The strean of the ocean of life the Shabd Naam. Mind is a minister of the Negative Power, and he has flows very deep; How will you go across withcreated his armies, his forces. Lust, out the Master? anger, greed, attachment, and egoism are very strong. Laziness is also We do not know the depth of this one of the forces of the mind.

Perfect Masters come into this ocean of life. We do not know about world and They tell the souls, "This its length or breadth. And there is not your home. You do not be- are so many waves that are being long to this place, you have come to created in this ocean - the waves someone else's place, your home is of lust, anger, greed, attachment, and Sat Naam. You belong to Sat Naam, egoism. Somewhere there are the and you are here in somebody else's waves of backbiting and criticism, land. So over here you be very care- and all the other negativities. We do ful. Mind is not your companion, he not know how long we have been

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SANT BANI

July / August 1995

drowning in this ocean; we do riot know how to cross over this ocean or swim in it. If we meet with someone who knows how to swim across this ocean, and if He helps us, if He teaches us how to deal with these waves, only then can we cross over and be liberated from this ocean.

The perfect Masters are aware of the waves this ocean has. They save us from these waves and They ta.ke us across. Perfect Masters come into this world carrying the ship of Naam, and those who sit in Their ship of Naam, They easily take them across.

Love the Master as the unchaste person loves his wife.

Him once, He remembers us millions of times. Every satsangi is written on His heart, just like you write a name on a register, in the same way, it is written on the heart of the Master - every satsangi. Even if thousands of initiates were to leave the body at the same time, the Master will come for each one of them and liberate them - this is what Master Sawan Singh said.

Be in His company. Keep the love for Him in your heart, And hold on to the feet of the Master with your mind..

Lovingly He says, "Dwell on Him within your heart, day and night."

Whether you are sleeping or awake, always keep Him in your heart.

Why should we remember the Masters so much? Because you know that at the time of death, neither your mother nor your father will come to rescue you. Nothing of this world will come to help you. Only the Master will help you at the time of death. Always keep Him in your heart; remember Him whether you are sleeping or awake, whether you are working or doing whatever. Always remember Him with your heart.

Lovingly He says that now, when you have received the Naam Initiation, love your Master as an unchaste person can never forget his wife. Or like a wife who, being controlled by lust, can never forget her husband.

In the same way, you should have so much love for your Master, because you will always have the thoughts of the person whom you love, and even when you sleep, if you will be thinking of the Master, even when you sleep, you will have only His dreams.

Deal with Him giving up The love of this world is selfish, cleverness and deceit. it is full of self-interest; the love of Understand the words of the the Master is selfless, it is of the Master. love [of God]. Master Sawan Singh Ji used to say that if we love the Master for once, if we remember Now He says, "Do not play any trick 10

SANT BANI

every single breathRemember the Naam every moment.

Ones, not even one breath of yours should go without doing Simran.

Moment after moment, with every blink of your eye, you should be doing the Simran."

You might have seen in the circus those performers who walk on the ropes - very skinny ropes and even those who walk on bamboo. How do they do it? They do it because their contemplation, their attention, is completely on the rope on which they are walking. Even though there are many people watching them do that -even great kings, emperors, very rich people may also be sitting there and watching - but those people who are performing do not pay any attention to who is watching them and who is there.

Their attention is completely towards their job, and that is why they do it very successfully. If they do not keep their attention towards their job, if they lose their concentration, they fall, and as a result they may even die.

We should also, like that artist of the circus, keep our attention on the form of the Master. Whether we are sitting in the Satsang, or sitting in meditation, our attention, our concentration, should always be focused on the form of the Master. When we will have our attention on the form of the Master, our tongue will start doing the Simran by itself.

Swami Ji Maharaj says that Saints come and They tell us, "0 Dear

Carelessness committed here will bother you much,

with the Master, do not have any deception for the Master - go to the Master with a sincere heart and with all your love." Guru Nanak says, "Give up deceptions, disguises, all your cleverness and wisdom. You do not get the fruit if you are in the doubts and dualities." Guru Nanak Sahib says you will not get the fruit of devotion to eat, if after going to the Master, you go in all the disguises and you tell Him things which are not true.

Always be afraid of Kal, You do not know when you will die.

Swami Ji Maharaj says do not understand Kal as a monster. But do remember: you do not know when Kal is going to ring the bell of your death. You do not know when your heart is going to fail, when you are going to meet with an accident when your death will occur. So do not waste any opportunity; do not waste any time. Always remember the Master, always do your meditation, go within, take advantage of this time and meet with your Master within.

0 madman, realize with your

July / August I995

Sant Ji at the Satsang tent in Subachoque, Colombia Then in the beyond nothing will be achieved.

Swami Ji Maharaj says that after getting the human body, we make mistakes. We say, "Okay, we will do the meditation later on." We postpone our meditation, or sometimes we say, "We will not go to the Satsang today, the Master is going to say the same things again, so it is okay if we just remain here and read the books." So Swami Ji Maharaj says don't make such mistakes, don't postpone all this. Because of all these mistakes which we make here in this human life, in this human body, we will have to suffer a great deal. And over there, when you will suffer, then you will repent, and you do not get

anything out of repentance. So when you are here in the human body, don't make any such mistakes.

Whatever you want to make, make it nowDo not rely on the future.

Now Swami Ji Maharaj says that if you want to become a Mahatma, you have to work for it in this lifetime itself. If you want to become a good person, you have to work for it while living. If you think that even after doing all the bad deeds, and drinking wine and enjoying the pleasures of the world, and deceiving others, still you can become the Mahatma in the next lifetime, that is not possible. Because whatever you have to SANT BANI

become, you have to work for it right now. Whatever you have to do, you have to do it right now; you should not rely upon the future.

Mahatmas always say, "Do not hurt anyone. Don't give pain to others, do not hurt anyone's feelings."

But what do we do? First we raise cattle, sheep, goats, and then we don't hesitate, we don't think before we kill them. If by mistake, the butcher cuts his finger, he cries, he screams a lot, because it hurts very much. But he doesn't understand, he doesn't realize that when he kills the animals, they also feel the pain. Dear ones, each one of us has a life, and everyone loves that life.

Do not expect happiness in this world; Do not be unhappy in the pains.

Understand the moment of pain as the best; Every single moment meditate on the Naam of the Master.

ifest the Master within you. Because whatever is going to happen in our life, that is all pre-written, pre-destined. Pains and happiness, riches and poverty, good health and sickness, all these things were written in our destiny even before our body was created, and whatever was written in our fate, we will get that.

Swami Ji Maharaj says that you should understand the moment of pain as a blessed one, a good one, because in the moment of pain our mind is inclined towards the Master, towards the Simran of the Master. When we are in pain our mind is not inclined so much towards the world, it is inclined towards the Master. So you should understand that moment, the moment of pain, as a good one, and utilize it by doing the Sirnran. Our mind remains careless when we are happy, and he does not allow us to do the remembrance of the Master, but when we are in pain, naturally we think of the Master and we do Simran.

Swami Ji Maharaj tells us, "Do not In happiness the mind always do the meditation thinking that if you remains forgetful and one don't do the meditation that you will is always swept away in the lose in business, or that your son stream of mind. will get sick, or that you will lose in So wake up and do the Satthe world. And don't think that if sang so that you may cross you do the meditation you will win over the river of pains and the lawsuit, or become successful in happiness. this world." Do not do the meditation with these kind of expectations Swami Ji Maharaj says, "You should and feelings. You do your medita- attend the Satsang, you should listion to meet with the Master, to man- ten to the Satsang, keeping your July /August 1995

mind present there, because we are attending the Satsang to make our mind understand, to explain things to our mind. Do not be bothered by these rivers of pain and happiness."

Guru Nanak Sahib says that we should not become excited and happy looking at the happiness, nor should we become unhappy looking at the pains. Just as the pain ends and the happiness comes, and when the happiness ends the pain comes, rising above both the pains and the happiness, we should always remain devoted to our Beloved One. Both the pains and the happiness are created by our Beloved, by our God, and we should always remain content with whatever He gives us.

Within yourseK realize yourselJ then go as a soul into the beyond.

Radha Soami says, making you understand, "Go and meet with the Shabd Guru. "

Now lovingly He says that when we do the Satsang of the Masters, when we do the Simran given to us by the perfect Masters, when we hear the message which the perfect Masters brought for us, and after rising above the nine openings of the body when

we go between and behind the two eyebrows, then our soul realizes she is the essence of God Almighty, she was always with Him. She was only suffering because she took the mind as her companion. God is an ocean, the Master, the Shabd is His wave, and our soul is a drop of that vast ocean. Just as when the drop surrenders itself to the wave, the wave takes it to the depth of the ocean; in the same way, when we will surrender ourselves to our Beloved Masters, where will They take us? They will take us to the Beloved Almighty Lord from where They came.

Swami Ji Maharaj in this very brief hymn lovingly explained to us that we should be very careful in this world. We should never take the company of the mind; we should always obey the commandments of the Master. These two rivers of pain and happiness which we have to cross are according to our own karmas.

We can easily cross over them with the support of the Shabd of the Master. So we should understand the message which the Master has brought for us and, making our life pure and holy, we should do the meditation of Shabd Naam and make our human life, our human body successful.

SANT BANI

Miracles of Love "Don't Worry, We Will Be Victorious" RICARDO MORENO

was driving at a moderate speed along the winding road where Sant Ji travelled physically on His two visits to Mexico. We had just passed "Tres Marias," a town near "La Palma." It was the 25th of September, a little after 8 p.m. I was travelling with my wife, Rosa, and my three children, Shanti Ricardo (age 13), Amira Yaazmin (age 10) and Maria Akashbani (age 6), who were in the back seat of the car, resting and complaining about the long trip. Their mother was soothing them by saying that in just a few minutes more we would be at home and they could go to sleep.

The road was quiet even though it was Sunday, when there is a lot of traffic. A car was coming in the opposite direction. I lowered my lights in order to turn them up as soon as we passed each other. We were travelling in a compact car; a green Chrysler "Spirit." Suddenly a cascade of mud appeared before us, forming a curtain which blocked our way. In that state of surprise we entered a tunnel: from one end the mud was coming towards us, taking on a human-like form, throwing itself over us with its angry face, wanting to destroy us. The very moment it reached the windshield, a shadow July /August 1995

appeared, as if it had come from our seat in the car. I only perceived his Indian clothes in the darkness of the night and heard his voice say: "Don't worry, we will be victorious." He took the angry humanoid in his arms and threw him over the car. Simultaneously I received a tremendous, undoubtedly mortal blow to the head, and the film marking the end of my life started to roll. It stopped and I instantly returned to this place, with great clarity of thought and feeling totally calm, repeating "Don't worry," as if it were the Simran. I was trying to speak to my wife and children, especially to the children who were in the back seat struggling to get out of the car.

We were stopped on the side of the road, with the tires on the right side swinging back and forth over a precipice. I still had my foot on the brake and, stretching out my hand, I turned on the emergency lights. The children broke the window behind my seat. Shanti especially was very scared because, even though we had talked to each other, he believed I was dead. He was shocked because my face was bathed in blood and I was not moving my extremities. He was trying to open my door but was unable because it was stuck. So,

moving my left arm with great difficulty, I unlocked the door and tried to help from inside. But the effort made me aware of a strong pain in my back and of how fruitless any effort was. I thought of sliding eowards the back to get out like the children had, but that was also useless.

Meanwhile Shanti was warning us not to go out the other side for fear we would fall down the precipice. Rosa was asking the children to be careful, not to despair, nor run, because they were in a very dangerous area. She told them to call out for help. I realized that my voice could scarcely be heard, my respiratory capacity was reduced to ten or fifteen percent and my feet were getting cold quickly. The only thing which kept me alive was the peace Sant Ji's words gave me.

I verified that I could move all my extremities and that the only thing left to do was wait.

A car travelling behind us [was forced to] stop. The driver of that vehicle was able to avoid some branches of the tree which [had crushed our car]. The tree was about 65 feet tall and nearly three feet in diameter. It had fallen on our car exactly between our heads and the dashboard. We had dragged it a couple dozen feet until the tree trunk was obstructing the way on the road.

This man, a charitable soul sent by the Master, came toward us convinced that Rosa and I were dead.

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The hood of the car was totally sunken down in the middle. The man said he would report the dead later on, but his wife heard the children's voices calling out for help. This man was an agent of the Ministry of Public Affairs in charge of security.

When he came closer I told him we were alive and asked him to look for a lever behind my seat which allowed it to be reclined. He diligently found it and, when the back of the seat went down, I started breathing normally. I felt uncomfortable and tried to take off my seat belt. I realized that my left hand didn't fit freely between my body and the car door. I asked my wife for help and between the two of us we freed the seat belt. She appeared to be in better shape than I. The back of her seat was also lowered but she could not move to get out of the car either. We were waiting for help to arrive and I took her left hand with my right, The man who had helped us said the children were safe in his truck; there Maria had been treated for a small abdomen wound caused by some glass but it had no major consequences. Even though she was anxious because of what had happened, she remembered: "Oh my goodness, we haven't even fed the dogs."

Rosa was visibly concerned for the safety of the children but I reminded her that the people there had been sent by the Master and, still holding her hand, I consciously SANT BANI

started doing Simran again.

Finally the ambulances came, and with special tools, the rescue people cut the car open in order to get us out. The car was swinging back and forth since it had no support on the side of the precipice. They placed a neck and chest brace on each of us to protect our neck and spinal column while we were transferred to the hospital. It was already midnight.

It turned out that my wife and I had multiple traumas, but I also had fractured my C7 vertebrae and the T5 and T6 were one on top of the July /August 1995

other. [Now that I have recovered,] all my movements are normal. I don't have any neurological damage.

The cervical fracture only means a spinal apophysis [bony outgrowth] of the vertebrae. Shanti received a blow to the head and to the eye without it having any major consequences. Our daughters are completely unharmed.

We are alive and bruised, but that's all. We are jubilant. This is not even a miracle. It is something greater than that. It is Sant Ji's love.

"Don't worry, we will be victorious."

Concentration is a Great Force Baba Sawan Singh Ji

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n your letter you gave a description of a dream and realized the force of repetition of the Five Names which dispersed the evil spirits, while the first Name alone was not sufficient. Why? The Sound Current is continuous - from top to bottom - from the first stage down to the eye focus. The Sound differs because it passes through different media; hence the five different Sounds.

In the first and second planes there is maya - of course less in the second stage in comparison to the first - and for that reason the first two names are insufficient to release the soul from maya. In the third, fourth and fifth stages there is no maya. These Names, therefore, are effective. I am very glad to know that you succeeded in conquering evil influences.

Again you say, "Why did I not hear the Sound when I repeated with such one-pointedness?" In the waking or conscious state the soul is at the eye focus. In the dream state it p

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is lower down, and in deep sleep it is in the heart and navel centers. As it goes away from the brain and descends down into Pind it grows duller. At the throat center it is in a semi-conscious state, and imperfect memory only remains. Below the eyes there is no Sound. Sound will be heard only above the eyes and in a state of consciousness, when the attention is in the Sound Current.

Soul is like a balloon, which has an upward tendency always. Like an inflated balloon, it is held here by chains of mind and matter and the paraphernalia of senses and objects.

Sometimes it so happens in sleep that the mind grows dormant or is in a state of peace. At such times the soul, being free, begins to rise up alone. It sees the light and scenes in the upper planes but does not catch the Sound. Sound can be caught fully only in the super-conscious state inside and above the eye focus, but the moment the attention is off the Sound Current and is directed to-

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Soul is like a balloon, which has an upward tendency always. Like an inflated balloon, i t is held here b y chains of mind and matter and the paraphernalia of senses and objects.

SANT BANI

To begin with, mind brings all kinds of thoughts and is running w i l d . If the devotee is patient and does not give up the effort, but continues increasing his time slowly and ultimately begins t o take interest in this work, soon, such is the state of the devotee that if by chance he misses a day, he then remains in a repenting mood over the loss.

wards the scenery of the astral plane, it is in a derailed condition. Thoughts of the external world keep the attention out, and thoughts of the internal world keep it in.

You are right when you say, "How helpless I am." And, "It is impossible to travel on the Path without the guidance of a Master." When you will rise to the inner planes you will see how powerful the Master is, what powers are under His control and how He helps the devotee.

You ask, "Sound is a Reality, all else is maya?" That is right. Sound is the only Reality. Sound is knowledge, Sound is Truth. In the first two stages pure or real Sound is not there.

There is maya mixed in it in a very subtle form. From the third stage, the real Sound Current commences.

You will understand the value of this Path as you go within and rise. It is acquired by effort, by love and faith.

It cannot be had by asking nor by paying dollars. Its price is selfless, pure love. It is within you. It is for you. It will come to you when you are fit to receive it. Make yourself fit for the reception.

July / August 1995

As long as you are outward the thing looks dry. To go inward is rather difficult; but once in, the subject becomes tasteful and it will be easy.

Through concentration, go inward once and the battle is won. 1 am glad that you have increased your time to one hour; but I must say that one hour is not sufficient. In three hours the mind is subdued, provided this time is given with love and devotion, and not as a duty.

To begin with, mind brings all kinds of thoughts and is running wild. If the devotee is patient and does not give up the effort, but continues increasing his time slowly and ultimately begins to take interest in this work, soon, such is the state of the devotee that if by chance he misses a day, he then remains in a repenting mood over the loss.

Before sitting, see that there is nothing that will need your attention during this hour (or whatever length of time you intend sitting), so this one hour is a holiday from other business, and this other business will be looked into only after this hour. Make your time carefree 19

Before sitting, see that there is nothing that w i l l need your attention during this hour (or whatever length of time you intend sitting), so this one hour is a holiday from other business, and this other business will be looked into only after this hour. Make your time carefree for this interval.

for this interval. There should be no anxiety, no anger and no hatred.

Then sit in the exercises and repeat the Names with the attention fixed in the eye focus, and, when feeling tired, then begin to listen to the Sound - as if it is coming from a distance. Do not go after it. When you go after it and leave the focus, then the attention gets scattered and the Sound is lost. Try to catch the fine sounds and not the course one.

We are to go in farther and farther. Coarse sound is of the outside but fine sounds are within. The sound you have referred to is not the real Bell Sound. There is a mixture of ten sounds here, and of these, the Bell and the Conch are the two sounds that lead up. The Conch Sound is caught after the Bell Sound.

When you will catch the real Bell Sound, you will feel that it is audible at twelve miles or more; although it is within you and the man stand-

ing next to you does not hear it. You will be hearing that all twenty-four hours of the day. Stick to the focus and catch the fine Sounds. The Bell Sound will come in its time.

Again, when you see forms within, repeat the five Names to see if it is from the Positive or the Negative Power. Forms of the Negative Power must disappear on recollection of the five Names. Concentration, by itself, is a great force. It brings in the scattered mind and soul. Pleasure and the power of miracles will be before you and the Negative Power will request you to use them, but they are not to be utilized. The time spent with them is time lost.

They emanate from the Negative Power, and these are the means by which the Negative Power keeps the soul entangled and stops its progress.

So, if someone offers anything within, it is not to be accepted, when in dream or in the exercise. reprinted from "Spiritual Gems"

SANT BANI

After seven days in Venezuela, Sant Ji travelled to Subachoque, about an hour outside of Bogota, where the beautiful ashram is located. The dear ones had worked very hard, and although there were many at the program (up to 9,000 for some of the Satsangs!), there was room for everyone. A large field was used to park cars and buses. The main part of the ashram held the huge Satsang tent, some smaller tents for eating and resting, the langar building, the old Satsang hall, the infirmary, and of course, Sant Ji's house.

July / August J 995

a view o f the ashram in Subachoquefrom the helicopter the big tent,filled with many, many dear ones

SANT BANI

dear ones waited in line to have Sant Ji's darshan and receive parshad

The main tent was used for meditations and Satsangs with Sant Ji, and also for the noon meal. It was amazing how many people could fit inside that tent, and also how so many thousands of people could go through the day together, taking meals, using facilities, waiting in lines, with patience and love and harmony. The love of the Master permeated the ashram and everyone remembered why they were there and wanted to make the best use of their time.

When Sant Ji arrived for Satsang or meditation, a stillness descended on the huge gathering as everyone focused their heart and attention on Him. We shared one of those rare and precious moments of our lives, an hour or an hour-and-ahalf sitting in the presence of the living Master. Who can understand how the Master showers grace? But even in a crowd of thousands, the Master reaches each dear one and fills each cup. He doesn't miss.

Again and again He emphasized that meditation on Naam is the food for our soul, that all our problems come because our souls are weak, and that Sirnran and Naam are the food that will make our souls strong. He said all satsangis should give up not only lust, anger, greed, attachment and egoism, but He added, also laziness. He said that we should resolve to give up one fault or bad quality at each Satsang.

From Subachoque, Sant Ji was taken by helicopter, to Kirpalamar, in Arbelaez. This is the site of a school and medical c h i c , started by Dr. German Duque, that since his passing is now run by his wife, Graciela. It is located in a beautiful mountainous area. Sant Ji's arrivaI at Kirpalamar was unique and dramatic. As we all awaited the Master's arrival, the school's band came march-

July / August 1995

arriving at Arhelaez, Colombia Sant Ji greeting the school children at Kirpalamar

24

SANT BANI

Sant Ji signed the diplomas ofthe graduates

ing up playing their drums and other instruments. After a while the faint whirring noise of the helicopter was heard in the distance. Usually the Master's arrival is very quiet. But this time the loud noise of the helicopter descending and the drum corps playing expressed the excitement of the waiting dear ones.

Sant Ji presided over the school's final exercises which consisted of different grades each doing some kind of a presentation: acrobatics, dancing, etc., and then He gave a talk to the assembled schoolchildren, teachers, parents and guests. Later, at the high school graduation ceremony, He personally presented a diploma to each graduate, which He had previously signed. The graduates, in turn, each handed a flower to the Master, which He accepted. This was all done in such a loving mood, and He was so jolly.

The day's program concluded with Satsang in the late afternoon.

July / August 1995

ThreeMeditation Talksfrom Ecuador

alutations unto the feet of Supreme Father Lord Almighty Sawan and Kirpal Who have had mercy on this poor soul and showering His grace gave the gift of His devotion. He gave His own life impulse and allowed him to do the devotion.

Devotion is the precious wealth. No currency, no money of this world can buy the devotion. It gives us the real happiness, the true contentment.

Unless we go in the company of the perfect Saints and unless the Masters Themselves shower grace upon us and give us this wealth of devotion, we cannot have this precious wealth just by our own efforts.

All the Vedas and Shastras, all the holy scriptures bear this witness that there is no difference between a perfect Master and God Almighty that is why when we are going to take refuge at the feet of the Masters we should never hesitate, we should never delay.

Justas a loving child can make his father do anything for him, in the same way, Saints and aha at mas, by doing the devotion of God Almighty, become His beloved children.

In whatever condition God Almighty may keep Them They always remain content and happy in His Will. Such Beloveds of God tie God Almighty up in the chains of Their love. Guru Nanak Dev ji said that whatever They wish They make God

S

SANT BANI

Almighty do that. And for whomever They wish They take them back to the door of God. So Guru Arjan Dev Ji said that God Almighty has assumed the form of the Sadhu.

We are the ones who are burning in the fire of egoism. We are the forgetful ones. Masters come into this world and They put us, the forgetful ones, on the right Path. After making us do the devotion They take us to God ~lmightyand get Him to forgive us. The Master tells God Almighty "He is Your forgetful child. Now he has come to seek Your forgiveness, You kindly bless him."

Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj said that even the Rishis and Munis trembled just by hearing about the beating of the angels of death. No one was able to save himself from the beating of the angel of death, no matter if he was a great meditator or if he was a great worshipper or if he was doing the practices. But the perfect Masters, through Their Naam and Their grace, easily save us from that beating.

The dear ones who do the meditation those who rise above the nine openings in t:he body by doing the Simran and connect themselves with the Shabd Naam behind the two eyes at the Eye Center they get the real peace and contentment.

Now we may say that we are content or that we have the peace, but - because the forces of lust, anger, greed, attachment and egoism are bothering you so much, and these fires are burning within you - where is the peace?

Even when we are not awake, even when we are sleeping, our mind constantly goes on moving from one place toanother. Just like the neck of the turtle, [our mind1 always goes on moving in and out. You know that the wick of the lamp, even if it is not windy, it still goes on moving; in the same way our mind is never constant, it is always restless. So by doing the meditation of the Shabd July / August 1995

Quito, Ecuador, June16,1995

Naam, first of all, we give peace and contentment to our body and after that our mind also becomes still when we connect him or attach him to the devotion of the Simran.

At the time of our death the same Naam takes us back to our origin. Thus we are saved from the beating of the angels of death.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj says, "By remembering the Naam of God the angel of death does not bother you. Both your body and mind become happy and in the end you meet with God Almighty."

Often I say that before we start doing the meditation, we should forget whatever worldly thoughts we are having. We should give up all our worldly thoughts once we are here for doing the meditation.

Whether you meditate here or back in your homes, always do it lovingly. Do not understand that there is a burden on your head and that you have to do it.

The Satsangi should never become irregular in meditation because you know that when we are not regular in feeding our body it affects our body, we cannot maintain our health.

So a1 of you please start your meditation, closing your (continuedon page 36) eyes.

SANT BANI

THE KING OF OUR HEARTS a talk given by Sant KirpaI SinghJi in memoy of Ba ba Sawan Singh Ji, September 2, 1963 a great blessing to meet, Iin-man I would say, a Master-man or Godor man who is the mouthpiece T IS REALLY

of God. God resides in every heart. He is the Controlling Power controlling all creation, and He is also controlling our souls in the body: we cannot run out of the body, even though it has nine apertures-two eyes, two nostrils, etc. God speaks through those who have become in tune with Him, you might say, or have become His mouthpiece. Though words appear to be coming through the gullet of a son of man, he is quite conscious; he sees that it is He Who is speaking and that it is being inspired by that higher Power. He is not speaking at the level of the intellect, but what is said comes of itself. You will find that those thoughts which come of themselves are always perfect. The very same God is within us, too; but the soul of a living Master, at whose pole God is speaking, has arisen from the bondage of mind and matter. He sees the Controlling Power within himself.

Generally, we find that people who say they have met God have done so at the level of feelings. Feelings are of our own make. Sometimes, out of feelings, we rise into certain emotions; and sometimes, intellectually, we come to some conclusion as a matter of inference.

Truly speaking, we have not seen Him, if we take Him to be at the level of our own self. All these three-feelings. emoBibi Hardevi has just sung a h y m n written by the Master, "He is the King o f our hearts," and the talk is Ma,s-

July /August I995

tions and inferences-are subject to error. Seeing is above all.

Soul is the spirit of God; it is spirit in man, environed by mind and matter.

Those who have risen above the body by self-analysis and have become conscious co-workers of God, know that it is He Who is controlling us all. To meet such a personality as the son of man is a great blessing. He appears to be a man like all other men. He has the same two eyes and two hands; the same outer construction. But our souls are embedded in the mind and outgoing faculties; and we are so much identified with them that we have forgotten ourselves. Unless we rise above senses or above body consciousness-unless we are reborn into the Beyond-we cannot become conscious coworkers of the Divine Plan. Whenever suchlike people come to the world, they are conscious. They never say, "I am saying this or that." They say, "It is the Father in me who is working." Do you see? The same Power is within us, but we are not conscious of it; because, as I told you, our souls are under the control of mind and mind is under the control of the outgoing faculties, and we have become so identified with them that we have forgotten ourselves.

Whenever such Masters come, what is their job? He is Man among men. Do you see? He is a son of man, but he is something more. He is in tune with God, and in his company, other souls which are tied down to the mind, outgoing faculties or the senses are raised above them. He opens the inner eye to see God: to sec God-in-action or in-expression, which is called Word. "The Word

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was made flesh and dwelt amongst us."

To meet such a Master while living on earth is a great blessing, because, with a little thought of his, he is competent to raise our souls above the senses--something that we cannot attain by years of penances.

So seeing is above all. Truly speaking, theists are those who have seen God. "The Son knows the Father and others to whom the Son reveals Him." They are true theists; all others, truly speaking, have not yet become theists. They have their own feelings and emotions and have drawn inferences to come to some conclusion, but they have not yet seen. We believe in God just as we have read about Him in scriptures. Scriptures speak of the experiences that the Masters had in their lives in their contact with God. They are a fine record of all these experiences. By reading them, an interest is created in us to have the same experience within our own selves. So scriptures are there to create an interesr within us. But unless we can have the same experience our own selves, ws cannot be truly convinced.

Therefore, whenever the Masters come, they say, "Don't believe what the scriptures or what anyone says. You can take them as experimental measures, but unless you see for your own self-at least to some extent-the same experiei~ce that they speak of, you cannot be fully convinced." To meet with such a $on of man, at whose pole God is working and speaking, who is in tune with God and who has the competency to raise oihers to the level at which they may have some glimpse of God, is really a great blessing.

In the first place, to have the manbody is a great blessing, because it is the highest in all creation. And the highest aim of a man's life is to know God. To know God, we must know our own

30

self first; because it is the soul that has to know God: He cannot be known by the outgoing faculties, mind or intellect.

One student went to Ramakrishna Paramhansa, the well-known Saint, the Master of Swami Vivekananda. He had a book under his arm. Ramakrishna asked him, "What is it?" The student said, "Master, it is a book that tells how water is made." And smilingly, Ramakrishna said. "All right. Squeeze the leaves of the book, and see how many drops of water will come out of it." Do you see? This is only an example to show that the scriptures are worth tons of gold and emeralds, because they contain the experiences that the Masters had m their life with God, and that creates an interest within us. But that is their scope. and there it ends: they cannot take us to the experience. You can have that experience within the laboratory of your own man-body. And unless you enter the laboratory of the man-body, you cannot have an experience of Him. That is why the scriptural records of all past Masters say, "The body is the temple of God." By reading scriptures you have an interest created in you to see God. and there it ends. Many men will come to you and say, "Yes, I have seen God." That's all right, with due deference to them. But the true definition of a true saint is that he is also competent to give others some experience of God within.

And that experience is had only when you rise above body consciousness.

All the methods that we have adopted to know God, such as reading of scriptures, have their value. Certain rites or rituals are performed according to the custom of each country. Of course. they work to prepare the ground to know God; they are good actions. But still, all scriptures say-all Masters say-that God is within you. "The kingdom of God cannot be had by observation."

SAKT BANI

Why? Because it is within you. Unless you enter within and find the contact controlling your soul in the body, you cannot find Him. That very same Power is also controlling the whole creation.

It is for that purpose that we have to know our own self. That is why all Masters-Christ, the old Greeks, Guru Nanak and all others-said, "Know thyself."

Knowing the self is liberating our soul from mind and the outgoing faculties or senses; rising above senses; and stilling our intellect, too. Then a sort of transport arises in which you can have a glimpse of God. That is a matter of pure self-analysis.

The hymn that she was just reading out to you is in praise of the Master.

It says, "He is the king of our hearts."

He was intoxicated with God, and to whoever met him he gave a little dose of intoxication, too: not to the senses, but to the soul. Suchlike was the Master, moving on earth like a man, a son of man.

There is a difference between a son of man and a God-in-man or a Master.

Masters are conscious that "there is some other power working through us."

Once a disciple asked Christ, "You always speak of the Father; it would have been much better if you had let us see your Father." And they said he grew a little indignant over it and said, "I'm sorry, I have been so long with you and amongst you, and you did not find that it was the Father working through me?"

Do you see? He was conscious of the God Power working through him.

The criterion of such a Master is that he does not only see, himself, but he enables others to see. As I told you, "The Son knows the Father and others to whom the Son reveals Him." It is a sort of revelation, which already exists within you. Because of your being given up to all outward senses and your being

July /August 1995

so much identified with them, you have forgotten your own self, who you are and what you are. The first thing to be done is to retrace your steps by withdrawing within and then rising above body consciousness. This is a matter of pure self-analysis. This is what is spoken of in the scriptures as, "Learn to die so that you might begin to live." At the time of death, the soul leaves the lower portion of the body and rises to the back of the eyes; and then you leave the body.

You have a sort of levitation. If you have that very experience in life, you can have contact with the God-in-expression Power, not God Absolute, mind that. So, the son of man who has become the mouthpiece of that Power is called Master. When you meet him, he is competent to raise you above the physical and astral levels and to open the inner eye to see the Light of God. God is Light.

She was just singing the hymn saying that our Master was a Great One. He was himself God-intoxicated, and he let others who went to him also have a dose of intoxication. His greatest feat was that he made people sit and asked them to close their eyes and gave them an experience of rising above body consciousness to see Light. That was his greatest feat-or the greatest feat of any Master.

Lectures can be given by anybody after a little training. With due deference to all, there is a vast difference between speaking of something and seeing something. One who sees can enable others to see. Those who are speaking at the intellectual level will give so many findings of the Saints and interpret them at the level of their intellect. Therefore they are not definite. They say at their heart of hearts they see; but they do not see.

How can they make others see and have the same experience? That is why all Masters said, "Beware of false prophets who come like lambs, but they are ra-

31

vening wolves." This they had to say, because true Masters are few. There have been, and there are, Masters. The world is not without them; but they are rare. T o come across such a son of man or personality who has that experience and is competent to give the experience to others-to meet such a great soul; you might say, Spirit-in-man or God-inman-is a great blessing. Of our own selves can we see Him? Yes, of course. if we can rise above senses.

So, whatever we do-all our reading, writing, performing of certain rites or rituals and saying of prayers in one way or the other-is all at the level of senses. You are already so identified with the senses that you have forgotten yourself, and whatever methods you use to free yourself from the senses are also practiced at the level of the senses. Then how can you rise above the senses? It is by the grace of God alone. as a reaction of the past. Some people do sometimes have some experience; but what the Masters teach and give out is, I would say, a regular science. They do not simply give a lecture or talk on a certain subject, but they do give some experience to start with.

Take the example of a man who is very well-versed in the principles of business. He comes and gives a talk to the people around him-a very wonderful talk, quite appreciable; but the poor fellows to whom he is giving the talk have no money with them. What will your lecture do? Only if he gives them some capital to start with will some good come out of it. This is why it is said that lecturing is something other than spirituality. The reading of scriptures and the performance of rites or rituals are the elementary steps which are meant for the preparation of the ground.

With due deference to them, they arc good actions. But we still have to take

a step further to rise above the level of the senses. That is why all Masters referred to it: "Learn to die so that you may begin to live." "Except ye be reborn ye cannot enter the kingdom of God." It is within you. There are so many mansions in the house of our Father: there are planes and planes of different densities. You rise above them until you reach the True Home of your Father.

And this much can be done only in the man-body, which is considered to be the highest in all creation. And that fortunately you have got.

With that purpose in view we have joined various schools of thought called religions - social bodies. If we have achieved that aim, well and good. The golden opportunity we have to know Him is the man-body, and no other body.

Masters have come in all religions.

They gave out the same teachings, of course in the language prevalent at the time when they came. Now, those sayings or experiences form the subject of our scriptures. T o understand them. to have their right import, we need somebody who has had the same experience or has gone o n the same Way. H e only will be able to give you the right understanding of the scriptures; others will just give it at the level of their intellect.

There are vast differences between one and the other. The man who has seen and who is also competent to let others see by raising them up from the levels of the physical and astral bodies is called a Master, in the true sense of the word, as given out by all Masters. You may be engaged in all the outer actions, but to have an experience of God in life is a great blessing.

So she was just singing about our Master. All Masters say the same thing.

Thcy came in all religions. We cannot say it is the reserved right of one religion SANT BANI

or the other. God is for all. The schools of thought were raised after the Masters came. That is why, at the intellectual level, we have so many versions of the same thing; because they have not seen it. If a number of people come to this building, and there is a photo on the wall, and a radio and many other things, and the people go back to their own different countries and give statements of what they saw in this building, they will, of course, give them in their own languages; but the salient points will agree.

As far as details are concerned, some might give more details of a certain thing, and others might omit something.

Those people who have not seen this building and read about it in the different books will wonder, "What is all this?

These versions cannot be reconciled."

But if a man has seen this building, and those books are read out to him, he will say, "Oh, yes, I have seen it; it is like that." So what the Masters say, they have seen. They say what they see; not as a matter of feelings or emotions or inferences. With due deference to all, seeing is above all.

Seeing comes to the soul. Until the soul is analyzed by self-analysis-or, you may say, by rising above body consciousness or the senses-you cannot have experience of your own self. Selfknowledge precedes God-knowledge. The sayings of the Masters are very clear on that point. They see and then say. And to those who come to them, they say: "All right, have a sitting; you'll find it for your own self." Unless we bear testimony to it our own self, we cannot be truly convinced.

So she was just singing the praises of the Master. All Masters came from time to time to guide the child humanity and have some time with them. Maulana Rumi, a Mohammedan saint, said, "If you do your penances yourself for the

July /August 1995

sake of God for a hundred years, it will not give you so much blessing as sitting once by a Master Saint." He will give you a sitting and your inner eye will open; you will see the Light of God. This is the subject before us, irrespective of whether we belong to one religion or the other; that makes no difference. All religions are good. To remain in some religion is a blessing. If you leave it, there will be corruption, or you will have to raise another school of thought. So many religions already exist.

They were raised after the Masters came into the world. They are formations.

Naturally, you will find that wherever there are formations, they result in stagnation, and stagnation sometimes results in deterioration, for want of practical persons who know the Way. We are worshipers of the same God, and the same thing has been given in all scriptures. The pity is that we are not in the full know of other religions. We have experience only of our own religion, and that also at the level of the intellect. That is why we are not able to do full justice to the work. So we need somebody even to understand the true import of the scriptures. Who? Someone who has been on the Way and knows the Way. He only can give you the right scriptural import, because he has seen what those Masters saw who made statements about their experiences. What is the difference? Why did so many of these different schools come into being? One man rises into prominence, and he says, "This is my view." A hundred or two hundred people follow him, and they form a new sect. That is the cause. Otherwise, those who realize and see God say the same thing: and they have said the same thing and have also made others have the same experiences. The greatness of a Saint or a Master lies in the fact that he is competent to give you

some experience of that Reality.

Philosophies deal with theories, and mysticism deals with Reality. Those who are themselves in contact with Reality are also competent to give you some experience to start with. Then you have to develop further. "Rome was not built in a day," of course. But you have something straight off, some contact with the Reality that leads to the Absolute God. This is the aim of our life, in a digest form. We have developed physically and intellectually. But the third side, our own self, has been very much ignored: we know little or nothing about it. Intellectually, we know about the scriptures and other things: but that is food only for the intellect. You are intellectually a giant. But that has not been able to satisfy you, because the third side has not been developed. You must advance spiritually, too. Reading scriptures forms part of the activity of the intellect. You know certain things; your brain is full of the sayings of the Master; but you have not yet seen. I would say, knowing many scriptures by heart cannot make you a Saint. You may know something intellectually, but unless you have an experience of the same thing, you cannot be convinced yourself, nor can you make others be convinced of it.

So she was singing the praises of the Master, at whose feet we had the good fortune to sit. He was competent to give all-one and all, both the learned and the unlearned, whoever came to himsome inner experience to start with.

When the inner eye, called the single eye, is opened, we can rise above the level of the physical and astral bodies: "If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." Light is there.

God is Light. It is not intellectual light.

It is truly Light.

This is what we had at the feet of the Master. That God Power or Christ Pow-

34

er or Guru Power, as it is called, never dies; it is everlasting. Whoever comes in contact with that Power will also have everlasting life. For this purpose we have joined the various schools of thought; and now we have to see how far we have advanced. We have been in the manbody for some ten, fifteen. twenty, thirty, forty, fifty years. We have to see whether we have achieved this object.

If we have, well and good. If not. we should do something more to have that experience in life. To say that we will have this experience after death-where is the proof of that? Excuse me, but "a bird in hand is better than two in the bush." If you are a learned man now, even after leaving the body. you will remain the same; you do not become a prophet. I'm going out of this room; when I'm out of it. I'm the same as I was when I was in the room Those who have developed, who have advanced spiritually while in the man-body. have used the golden opportunity that we have; because only in this man-body can we know God. We know God in this life, and that experience we can have only when we rise above body consciousness. We "learn to die so that we may begin to live." St. Paul said, "I die daily." And Guru Nanak said. "Die a hundred times a day at will." It is not a death that takes you to the grave; it is practical self-analysis, a rising above body consciousness. It is a regular science, as sure as two and two make four.

And you can have it in this man-life, if,

by God's grace, you come across someone where the God Power is working.

You have a great blessing.

She was singing that our Master was a Great One, truly king of our hearts. He had that God-intoxication, and he was also competent to give others intoxication by simply giving them a sitting. He would say, "Close your eyes"; and with SANT BANI

a little thought impetus to raise them up, they bore testimony that there is Light of God. This is the ultimate goal of a man's life, and it is for this we have joined the various religions. All religions are good.

They have Truth in them. Masters were the Truth personified. Whenever they came, they experienced the same Light.

They were themselves above It. They personified It themselves. That is why it was said-or it was said in all the languages of the Masters-"The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us." Unless he is Word personified, how can he give us a contact with the Word? An intellectual man can give you experience only up to the intellectual level, not more. Those who see It can give you an experience to see It. You bear testimony to It. So, you will find it is a great blessing to have the man-body. It is a still further great blessing if you meet some son of man at whose pole God is working. I have had it the same. All others who sat at the feet of our Master had it.

These days the world is not without Them. After all, God is the same for-

July / August 1995

ever. We are all His children. For those who are hankering after Him, "there is food for the hungry and water for the thirsty." Demand and supply is the law of nature. When fire burns, oxygen comes to help. It is God Who makes an arrangement to bring someone who is really hankering after Him in contact somewhcre whcre he can derive the benefit of personal experience.

So blessed are you who have joined some religion for that higher, nobler purpose. The only thing we have to see is how far we have advanced: whether we have achieved that very object for which we joined the various schools of thought. You have found that truth; that's all right. That is one. It is as definite a science as two and two make four.

But it is only possible to have it when you come across someone who has had that experience and is able to give it to you. The greatness of a Master lies not in giving Icctures, talks and wonderful theories, but in the fact that he is able to givc you some contact with the Godin-action Power which is Light and Sound Principle.

35

alutations to Supreme Father Lords Almighty Sawan and Kirpal Who have showered grace on this poor soul and have given the opportunity to do Their devotion. All the Saints have given the same message that if there is any true temple, mosque, or church, it is our human body. Whoever has realized God Almighty up until now has done so only by going within this human body which is the real church or temple of God. Sufi Saint Farid Sahib says that God Almighty is always awakened. Being separated from ~ i m we are sleeping in the deep sleep of attachment. You know that if we do not clean the outer churches or mosques we are afraid that people will say that we do not [respect those holy placesl. So that is why all the Saints have said that those who do not get up and clean this mosque of the body early in the morning [are not the real lovers]. That is why all the Masters have said, *Do not feed your body until you have fed your Soul and do not eat until you have done your Simran." Simran cleans our body as a broom cleans our room. When we get up early in the morning and do the Simran we clean out all the worldly thoughts and all the dirty things which are bothering us. That is why Sufi Saint Farid Sahib said that those who do not clean their human body, which is a true temple of God, every moming, but still claim that they love God Almighty, they are the liars. They do not tell the truth. Because God Almighty is always awakened and we are sleeping in the morning hours.

Only an awakened being can love another awakened being. A sleeping person cannot love the awakened one.

S

0 Farid

you get up and clean the mosque with the broom. what kind of love is this that you are sleeping whereas your Beloved is awake?

So closing your eyes start doing your Simran.

Quito, Ecuador,June17 1995 36

SANT BANI

blessing the langar in Quito Sant Ji visited two cities in Ecuador and although the time spent at each was brief, both programs were extremely sweet and loving, and the Master filled the hearts of the dear ones to the brim.

evening serenade in Guayaquil outside of Sant Ji k house

I July / August 1995

37

bow down at the feet of Supreme Father Almighty Lords Sawan and Kirpal Who have had mercy on the poor souls and showering Their limitless grace have given the precious gift, the wealth of the devotion to them.

All the Vedas and Shastras bear witness that neither the world which we are trying to make our very own, nor any of the things which we have in this world - nothing will go with us when we have to leave it. ~aam-ofthe Perfect Master is the only thing which will accompany us when we leave this world.

Except for the Naam there is no one who is your companion or friend. Meditate on the Naam so that you may achieve the liberation.

All the Saints say that the devotion of the Naam is the precious wealth. It removes the pains of lust, anger, greed, attachment and egoism. We get real love, true love, and real peace and contentment only from the Naam.

This is such a precious thing that we cannot grow it in the fields nor can we buy it in the marketplace.

Unless we sit at the feet of the perfect we cannot achieve, we cannot obtain the precious wealth of Naam. Guru Arjan Dev Ji Maharaj says, "The Naam thing. It can be obtained only of God is a very from the home of the Saints. This is the thing for which you have come into this world."

God Almighty has given us this precious opportunity in which we can realize Him. If we do not take advantage of this opportunity we don't know whether we will get such an opportunity again or not.

I often say that before you start meditating - it doesn't matter if you are meditating here or back in your home, but whenever you do the meditation - first of all forget the worldly thoughts which are coming within you. Then make sure that you remember the Five Sacred Names. While meditating you should

I

asters

38

SANT BANI

Sant Ji in Subachoque, Colombia

never understand it as a burden. You should always do it lovingly.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj says that the rainbird is a bird, yet when he cries for the swanti drop of rain Lord Almighty orders ~ndra,the god of rain, who then orders the clouds to shower the rain, and in this way the prayer of the rainbird is answered. If God Almighty can answer the prayer of a bird will He not answer our prayers if we sit in His remembrance, if we pray to Him wholeheartedly and sincerely?

In the ambrosial hour the rainbird made the prayer.

Lord Almighty ordered the clouds to shower the rain.

Repeating the Five Sacred Names again and again is just like the prayer of the rainbird. God ~lmightydefinitely hears our prayer and He definitely answers.

So all of you please close your eyes and start doing your Simran.

Guayaquil, Ecuador, June 18,1995 July / August 1995

39

SANT BANI

Feed Your Soul with Meditation Sant Ajaib Singh Ji

p

alutations unto the Holy Feet

of Almighty Supreme Father Lords Sawan and Kirpal Who have had mercy on this poor soul and allowed this poor soul to do Their devotion. It was only due to Their grace that we all were able to sit together in Their remembrance, sing Their glory and praise Them, because He is the One Who invites the dear ones here. He is the One Who bids them good bye. He is the One Who cooks food for them. He is the One Who eats the food. He is the One Who praises Them and He is the One Who accepts the praises. Just as there is cotton in the thread and the cotton is also in the cloth, in the same way, everywhere beloved Lord Kirpal exists. He is the One Who does everything Himself.

So dear ones, I was very pleased with all the dear ones doing the seva.

Whatever duties they were given, understanding it as their responsibility - whether it was the duty in the langar, or here in the hall, or the security, or whatever job they were given - they all did their best. Un-

This farewell talk was given at Sant Bani Ashram of Venezuela, in Caracas, on June 7, 1995

July /August 1995

derstanding it as their responsibility and remaining in the discipline, they did the seva; and I am very pleased with all of you for doing the seva.

Man is an idol of faults and only he who works makes the faults or makes the mistakes. There are only two Powers which are faultless or who do not make any mistakes: one is the Master and the other is Almighty God. Guru Nanak Sahib says, "Everyone is in the faults, everyone is making mistakes, except for the Master and God Almighty."

Master Sawan Singh Ji used to say, "In the sangat many different kinds of people come. Some come with love and they take back the love of the Master from the sangat.

Some come with the desire of doing the seva and they do a lot of seva when they come into the sangat. There are some who come with critical thoughts in their mind and they go back doing nothing but criticizing others."

So you can determine this for yourself. You know that those who came here with a desire to do the seva, they take back the fruit of the seva; because when you do the seva you get the fruit of it. Those who came here with love, they received

the love and they will go back with the love, and the third kind of people, those who came here with the critical thoughts and did nothing but criticism, when they will go back they will take nothing but the criticism with them. Whatever you take from here, that will develop, that will grow, day by day, and those who take the criticism remain without any peace and they also make their environment, their surroundings without any peace.

Swami Ji Maharaj has said, "The brothers and sisters always fight with each other."

You know that we all are brothers and sisters in the Name of beloved Lord Kirpal. We all are His children and, it doesn't look good, it doesn't glorify the Name of our Father, if you go on fighting with each other. I would say that only the fragrance of meditation should come out from you, because a country in which more people do the meditation, that country lives in more peace.

I am saying all this because I got to hear sweet and sour words of the dear ones. But I will tell you one thing: "My beloved Lord Kirpal is the Ocean of Love." I was the devotee of love and I got only love from Him. I come out into the world, I go to every place in the world, only to distribute, to share, the love which He gave me.

If while doing the seva, or if while making other people do the seva,

anyone had to speak harsh words or anyone had to become rude, I hope you will not mind that. I hope you will not take any bitterness with you when you return from this place. You know that everyone makes mistakes and no one wants to say those harsh words, nobody wants to be rude. But sometimes it happens. When things are not getting done the way they should be done, then the people responsible have to be harsh and get upset. So if anything like that happened to you, I hope that you will forgive them, because you know that Saints come into this world with a lot of forgiveness. They have been given a lot of forgiveness by God Almighty, and since we are also the children of the Saints, of the Master, then we should also adopt this quality of forgiving others. A satsangi should never give up this element of grace and forgiveness. I hope that if anyone has made any mistake you will forgive him and you will not carry any bitter remembrances or any bitter feelings from here. I hope you will maintain the love, yearning, and enthusiasm with which you came here to do the seva.

Every satsangi should remember the message of Lord Kirpal and they should write this down on their heart.

The very important message which He gave us, the very important instruction which He gave us was to keep the diary. Keeping the diary does not mean that you only have to go on filling it up every day. KeepSANT BANI

at the Iangar in Venezuela

ing the diary means that the mistake which you have made once - don't do that again.

The other very important message which beloved Lord Kirpal gave to us was that we should do our meditation, giving up thousands of important works. And leaving hundreds of important works we should attend the Satsang.

He also used to say, "You should not feed your body unless you have fed your soul with the food of meditation." You know all the grains, the fruit, and things like that are the food for our body, and it is very important, very essential for our body to have those foods. In the same way, meditation is a very important food for our soul.

Since we do not feed our soul July /August 1995

with the food of the meditation we keep it very weak and only because of the weakness of the soul we have problems like feeling scared from within. Or when we have to face any difficult challenge, at that time we become nervous and we do not know how to make the right decision. This is only because of the weakness of our soul. Many dear ones tell me that they feel this fear from their within. It is only because of the weakness of the soul that you feel that way.

So if you want to avoid all these problems you should do the meditation of Shabd Naam, because meditation is the food for our soul, and by eating it our soul becomes strong enough to face any challenge or any difficulties.

A Very Precious Hour Sant Ajaib Singh Ji Tell us the distinction between re- welcome, you can do that." And he was not able to look into my eyes pression andfighting the mind? even for one minute. I asked him, Only he is a Satsangi who stands in "Why are you not looking into my front of the mind, who becomes an eyes now?" Then he smiled and he obstinate one. That's why to strug- went back. Russell Perkins was also gle with mind is called devotion. there at that time. It is difficult; it's Until we will fight with our mind, very hard to look into the eyes of we cannot repress him. We need any Saint.

In a place called Tusara, when something to repress our mind, and that is Simran. There is no differ- Master Sawan Singh went there, one ence between repressing our mind pundit came to see Him and he startand fighting with it; both are one ed looking into the eyes of Master Sawan Singh. And when Master and the same thing.

Saivan Singh gave him His attenCan we spend this darshan time to tion, the pundit couldn't hold that, and he started looking at the ground. just look in Your eyes?

So Master Sawan Singh asked him.

The people are getting much time. "Pundit Ji, what is the matter? Why Everybody has full freedom to look are you looking down and not into into the eyes, as long as he wants. my eyes?" He said that he was not But to look into the eyes is very an initiate. And he said, "It is very difficult. In Houston, one dear one difficult to look into Your eyes."

Ordinarily, we can look at Mascame for a private interview. And ter or we can look into the eyes of when he was asked, "Do you have any questions?" he replied, "No. I Master for a long time. But when have come here only to look into the Saint or Master is giving His atYour eyes." So I told him, "You are tention, at that time it is very difficult to look into His eyes.

This question & answer session took place during Sant Ji's$rst tour to the I have two questions about the Five West, on August 19, 1977, at Sant Bani Names. Is it all right if we don't Ashram, Sanbornton, N.H. pronounce the names exactly corSANT BANI

rectly? And the second question is - $1 remember correctly, in a Satsang you said that Baba Jaimal told Sawan Singh that God had jfteen hundred names. Therefore, Sawan Singh shouldn't be embarrassed that Baba Jaimal called God, "Radha Soami. - so likewise, why are the Five Names that we use - used for meditation? And would other names work also? "

Swami Ji Maharaj perfected these Five Names, and behind these Five Names His charging was working when He was initiating. After that, Baba Jaimal Singh also perfected these Five Names; He also charged these Names. In the same way, Master Sawan Singh also perfected these Five Names, and behind them His charging was working. Master Kirpal did the same thing, perfecting these Five Names; His charging also worked behind these Five Names.

The name "Radha Soami" is a descriptive name of God, used only to call God outside. That name was not perfected by any Saint, not by Swami Ji, nor anyone else. And there is no charging working behind the words, "Radha Soami." This was only a descriptive name to call God. Swami Ji Maharaj also said this: "My Path is of Sat Naam and not of Radha Soami." The Radha Soami Path was started by Rai Saligram; he did not perfect the words, "Radha Soami," and no charging is working behind that name.

July /August 1995

Only the words behind which the charging of the Master is working, only those words work during our meditation, and only they can do the real work. They are not only words: they carry the charging of the Living Master. In the same way, Guru Nanak also gave the Five Words, but outside, He called God "Sat Kartar" or "Wahe Guru" or "Sat Sri Akal" - all these words. These are all descriptive names of God. But He never perfected all these other words, and He never supplied His charging behind these words. He also charged the Five Words. The Words which are charged by the Master, only they work in the meditation.

Master Kirpal didn't take the name of Radha Soami in any other context. He didn't even mention this word, "Radha Soami." But still, in India, people think or believe that this Path is one part of the Radha Soami Path.

After I first came to the feet of the Master, wherever I would go, people would greet me with the name Radha Soami, because they understood that this Path is part of the Radha Soami faith, which is very famous in India. And most of the people started greeting me as Radha Soami. But once, when I was going to some other village, and we were traveling on a camel cart, there were some children playing there; and some of the children started greeting me with "Radha Soami." But some other children didn't agree

with them; and they said, "No, he is not Radha Soami, he is the Sant of that village," because most of the villagers knew me at that time. So this name, "Radha Soami" is just a descriptive name of God, and it has nothing to do with meditation.

This word was given by Hazur Saligram, because before getting initiation from Swami Ji Maharaj, he was the worshiper of Radha and Sham. And that's why, when he came to the feet of Swami Ji Maharaj, he gave the name "Soami" to Swami Ji Maharaj. Before that, Swami Ji's name was Seth Shiv Dayal Singh and his wife's name was Mata Narayan Devi. And Saligram called her '"Radha." So that's how the Radha Soami name came about,

by Hazur Saligram.

Before that, wherever Swami Ji Maharaj had written anything, in the end He would always write, "Satguru Swami"; but after [He left] that was changed, and instead of "Satguru" "Radha" was put. Instead of "Satguru Swami," "Radha Soami" was [written] down.

So the word "Radha Soami" is just like a word for greeting, and people use that. Some people use "Sat Naam," some people use "Sat Sri Akal," just as you people say "hello." In the same way, this word is also used just for greeting and it doesn't have any charging.

You people use the word "hello" for greeting; and if you go on repeating this word, "hello, hello," all

day, then nothing will come from that, because nobody has charged that word, because no Param Sant has charged that word. So the Five Names which the Saint or the Master is giving us to repeat, behind that His charging is working.

As far as the pronunciation is concerned: the pronunciation, or the way in which the Saint Satguru has pronounced the Names, we should try to do that; because if we will pronounce them correctly we will get much fruit, or that will be very fruitful. Because if we are doing any wrong pronunciation, that will not have much effect. In May, and wherever I went on the Tour, I said this thing to all the people - that if anyone has any confusion about the pronunciation, they can, without any hesitation, come to me and ask me about the Five Names in private time.

I have trouble forgetting mysew When I have lots of pain, I repeat Simran faster and louder using the tongue of thought. But I have troubleforgetting myselj and I was wondering if you could give some tips, or explain exactly how I can forget myselJ; with so much pain.

Keep doing your practices. Because you Western people have difficulty sitting in the cross-legged position that's why it happens in the beginning. And you are a new initiate; that's why you need to do more pracSANT BANI

Sunt Ji on tour in 1977 tice. And after a few days, this pain will go away.

A .few tiuys ugo. You mentioned the stor-y of' how two people who were lazy in the ashram in India were kicked out. My question is whether or not we should do the same to sonzeoize who is inconsiderate in their practice and interfering with our pructice? Or will we incur some bud karma or some bud murk or1 our non-violence?

You should show your love to him, and when you will love him, he will be ashamed and he will go, without your asking. In that, there is no bad karma.

In our ashram, we have kept this principle of love. We are never we do not become strict with any-

July /August 1995

body if we find anyone like this. We start serving them more and loving them more. So that, feeling shame for himself, he himself leaves the ashram.

Yesterday You started to talk about love jkom the Master for the soul.

I'd like You to talk more about that.

Will You tell us how much You really love trs [happy laughter all through the Sangat], so we'll be dancing all around? [More laughter] [Sant Ji chuckles] You can feel that only when you will go within.

After Satsang, is it better to sit in meditation, or should we go for more darshan?

Whatever opportunity you get. If you

47

can get the opportunity of going there and having darshan, you should do that. If you can get the opportunity of sitting here for meditation without any disturbance, you can do that.

Why do you have to leave so soon?

[Sant Ji chuckles] Because, from the other side, the dear ones like you are pulling me.

1 have been told that a Satsangi should not meditate with one who is not a Satsangi, because his meditation could adversely affect the nonSatsangi. Is this correct? And i f i t is correct, what is the polite way to explain this if one should invite you to meditate with him?

Well, the only effect which a Satsangi has in sitting with a non-Satsangi is that a Satsangi has to sit for a long time because he knows what to do, but a non-Satsangi doesn't know that, and that's why he gets up very soon. And when a Satsangi sees the non-Satsangi getting up very soon, the desire of leaving the meditation comes to him also. That is the only danger, and nothing else.

Because a non-Satsangi doesn't have any Path to walk in the within, and he doesn't know what to do, that's why when he gets up, the mind of the Satsangi also makes the excuse, "Now your companion has gotten up, so you also get up."

Daily I am saying about mind, "What is mind doing?" Here we Satsangis are all sitting and doing meditation. But many people from this group also are such that, because of their mind, their mind doesn't allow them to close their eyes. And after a few minutes, they open their eyes and they look at each other and sometimes they look at their watches. And when they look at me, I am telling them with signs, "Please have patience. Just a few minutes and then you will get up."

So if we allow non-Satsangis also to sit here for meditation, they can't sit for this much time because they don't know what to do. So when they get up and leave the meditation hall, the other Satsangis will also be affected, and they will also leave. So who will meditate here? [SantJi and the dear ones all laugh] Many times I have said this: I am giving you a promise that I will not leave you until you open your eyes and I will not make you sit for more than one hour. I will not leave without telling you to leave off the meditation. But there are many dear ones here, and their mind is telling them that maybe I have left. That's why they open their eyes to make sure.

So you should take advantage of this precious hour. In this, you should close your eyes, sit here doing Simran without stopping it. This is a very precious hour in your life; and this will help you. So you should try to take advantage of this hour.

SANT BANI

. . . YOU

know that Saints come into this world with

a lot of forgiveness. They have been given a lot of forgiveness by God Almighty, and since we are also the children of the Saints, of the Master, then we should also adopt this cpality of forgiving others.

A

satsangi should never give up this element of grace and forgiveness.

I

hope that if anyone has made any mis-

take you will forgive him.

...